Teen charged with Marine's death

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- A Wake County teen is charged with felony death by motor vehicle after an accident early Sunday morning in Wilmington.

Jackson Davies turned himself in last night after he got out of New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Today he made his first appearance in front of a judge.

Police say the 19-year-old East Carolina student is to blame for the death of Marine Cory Reese, 22, early Sunday morning.

Prosecutors said the violence started when Davies and two friends were asked to leave a Sigma Nu fraternity party early Sunday on Rose Ave. They say when the men got outside, Reese and a member of the fraternity asked them to leave again.

"The defendant head butted Reese in the face, knocking him to the ground," Assistant District Attorney Doug Carriker said.

The DA's Office said that's when Davies and his friend ran to the car. Reese and members of the fraternity surrounded it. Panicking and scared, the driver got out, and Davies slid behind the wheel. Prosecutors say Davies hit Reese knocking him on to the hood of the car.

"Witnesses say the defendant was driving on that street with Reese on the hood at 50 miles an hour or greater," Carriker told the judge.

But Davies's attorney Thom Goolsby said the teen acted in self defense because he was getting attacked by Reese, who was holding onto the car and punching at the glass.

"This is not from an accident," Goolsby said. "I have pictures of bruising on his arm where you can see that handprints are there."

Carriker said Davies hit a tree killing Reese.

Davies is also charged with DWI.

The headquarters of the Sigma Nu fraternity said it has suspended all activity of UNCW's chapter pending an investigation.

Disclaimer: Comments posted on this, or any story are opinions of those people posting them, and not the views or opinions
of WWAY NewsChannel 3, its management or employees. You can view our comment policy here.

The boys surrounded the car were beating on it screaming how they wanted to have a beat down on davies. The DD got scared and ran away. While the car door was open davies was being assulted by the group of people until he put the car in drive at which point reese jumped on the hood because he wasnt done with davies. After being hit in the head and having no way to see through the windshield davies stopped the car, reese wouldn't get off the car so davies accelerated again this time hitting a tree.

It looks pretty obvious that all of this started by the 19 year old illegally consuming alcohol. Then the "beer muscles" kick in. Next thing you know, someone is dead. Who bought the alcohol that Davies drank? They should be in jail with Davies.

Sigma Nu finally has a response?!? Considering their OTHER chapters feature events like armed stand offs with the police, turning their dorms into community threatening fire hazards with multiple code violations for their hazing ritual and think nothing of tieing up resources by filing fake police reports of robberies in order to hide drug deals gone bad, Sigma Nu has no place on college campuses. Or possibly even in America. The news reports about Sigma Nu make them look more like a terrorist group than a fraternity.
Look up completely out of control up for yourself and see if you think they should be influencing young adults.

This kind of behavior with college students goes on every night. I am surprised this type of outcome from this party doesn't happen more often. Parents move their kids to Wilmington and poof!! they are gone. They should show up at night for a surprise visit and see what the general public deals with from their kid's behavior.